12627: Taking payment for reciting Qur’aan over a sick person

We heard that some of those who use the Qur’aan for treatment – by reading Qur’aan and du’aa’s prescribed in sharee’ah over water or perfumed oil for the treatment of sihr (witchcraft), the evil eye and the touch of the Shaytaan (madness) – take payment for doing that. Is this permissible according to sharee’ah? Does reciting over oil or water come under the same ruling as reciting over the patient himself for the purpose of treatment?

Praise be to Allaah.

There is nothing wrong with taking payment for treating the sick by
means of ruqyah, because
it was reported in al-Saheehayn
that a group of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) went
to a tribe among the Arabs who did not offer them hospitality. Their
chief was stung, and they did everything but to no avail. Then they
came to that group of Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) and
said, “Is there any raaqi
(one who does ruqyah)
among you? For our chief have been stung.” They said, “Yes, but you
did not offer us hospitality, so we will not do ruqyah
for him unless we make a deal.” So they agreed upon a number of sheep,
then one of the Sahaabah did ruqyah
for him by reciting Soorat al-Faatihah,
and he recovered. They gave them what had been agreed upon, then the
Sahaabah said to one another, “Let us not do anything until we tell
the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him).” When they came to Madeenah, they told him about
it and he said, “You did the right thing.” There is nothing wrong with
reciting into water or oil to treat the sick, the one who is affected
by sihr (witchcraft) or
the insane, but reciting over the sick person and blowing onto him is
better and is preferable. Abu Dawood (may Allaah have mercy on him)
narrated with a hasan isnaad
that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) recited into water for Thaabit ibn Qays ibn Shammaas,
then he poured it over him. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “There is nothing
wrong with ruqyah so long
as it does not involve shirk.”
This saheeh hadeeth includes the sick person doing ruqyah
for himself, and doing ruqyah
by reciting into water, oil, etc. And Allaah is the Source of strength.